Back in August Princess Catherine sparked a royal frenzy after she decided to ditch Princess Diana’s stunning ring for an eternity band. A jewelry expert has claimed that she has now set a huge trend. Her new style is estimated to be priced around £1,500 from Annoushka – this is considered a modest price tag for a piece of royal jewelry.
There’s no denying royal ladies have access to some of the most beautiful – and expensive – jewellery collections in the world, especially when they often loan pieces to one another.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been known to wear sparkling pieces from her own jewellery box, as well as styles borrowed from the Queen herself.
The royal mum-of-three also inherited a wealth of heirloom pieces from her late mother-in-law Princess Diana when she married Prince William back in 2011, including her iconic engagement ring.
But through the years a clear pattern has emerged when it comes to Catherine’s jewellery; she consistently favours significant and sentimental pieces over flashy and over-the-top jewels.
Often opting for understated pieces like charm necklaces and delicate drop earrings, the princess likes to make subtle statements with her jewels and often pays tribute to family members past and present through the diamonds and pearls she wears.
In honour of her unique approach to royal jewellery, we’ve collected some of her most significant pieces and revealed the stories behind the glittering gemstones she wears.
Catherine dazzled with a stunning Jess Collet x Alexander McQueen head topper at the coronation of King Charles that consisted of a regal arrangement of shimmering silver bullion, crystal, and silver thread leaf embroidery that peaked in the centre of the creation.
For the first Platinum Jubilee since 2019, Catherine paid homage to her late mother-in-law by wearing her sapphire earrings. Princess Diana wore the pair on a few occasions, including during a visit to Canada in 1991, at the 1996 Met Gala, and a dinner hosted by Emperor Hirohito in Japan. Kate styled the sapphires with a recycled white Alexander McQueen coat dress.
It’s no wonder Catherine’s engagement ring is so significant, given it was originally selected from a catalogue and worn by the late Princess Diana. After her death the ring passed to Prince Harry, who later exchanged it with William so he could use the stunning ring to propose to Catherine
Custom wedding earrings
At first glance these earrings seem significant only because Catherine wore them on the day of her royal wedding, but the elegant drop style have a second hidden meaning. Presented to the princess by her own parents as a wedding gift, the design features oak leaves and acorns, both of which appear on the Middleton family coat of arms.
Middleton family charm necklace
Catherine continued the Middleton family theme in this delicate charm necklace by British jeweler Asprey, which she has been photographed wearing countless times through the years. It also bears symbols of the Middleton coat of arms, including a diamond-encrusted acorn, and an oak leaf charm.
In 1981 Diana’s family jewellers, Collingwood Jewellers, gifted her these stunning pearl-drop earrings ahead of her wedding. Now Catherine regularly wears the jewels she inherited from her late mother-in-law, even donning this set for her appearance at the 2019 BAFTAs where she paid a subtle tribute to Diana.
Catherine has been spotted wearing this earring set she inherited from Diana on several occasions throughout her time as a royal, from as early as 2012 to as recently as 2022. They’re understood to have been a wedding gift from Prince William and are extra special as they originally belonged to the original Princess of Wales.
There’s no doubt about how much Catherine adores her children; in fact, when it comes to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis she likes to wear her heart on her sleeve. or should we say, around her neck. The duchess has several necklaces that honour her children, including this on with three delicate pendants, each one bearing one of her children’s initials.
Catherine has also been spotted in this necklace which has three charms in the shape of each of her children’s initials, arranged in the order they were born.